Braun Sonic
Research
Technology
Design a kitchen appliance for the future
Braun Sonic is a future kitchen appliance concept designed for Braun. The project focused on envisioning a kitchen tool for the future. Braun Sonic utilizes ultrasound technology to perform tasks that are currently time-consuming or impossible, such as tenderizing, cleaning vegetables, and creating stable emulsions, all achieved through different ultrasound frequencies.
Project
Solo project18 weeks
Client
BraunYear
2023
Research
Kitchen of the Future
A vast part of this project was spend on doing research. This was mainly focussed on finding out what the kitchen of the future would look like and what people might be looking for in the future in their households. The research was divided into Culture, Ergonomics and Technology.
Culture
In the cultural research, we explored current trends and behaviors in the kitchen, understanding how people interact with their cooking environments and what future needs might arise.
Ergonomics
The ergonomic research focused on both physical and cognitive aspects, ensuring that Braun Sonic would not only be comfortable and easy to use but also intuitive, minimizing the cognitive load on users.
Technology
The technology research centered on ultrasound capabilities and their potential applications in the kitchen. This included understanding the principles of ultrasonic sound and exploring how these could be used.
Ideas
Ideation
As a concept-driven project, a substantial effort was placed on idea generation. Over 200 initial ideas were brainstormed, eventually leading to the selection of ultrasound as the focal technology. Subsequent ideation explored various implementations of this technology in the kitchen, ranging from stoves and cleaning baths to a versatile multifunctional tool. The project culminated in the development of this multifunctional tool, with several prototypes and shape studies conducted to refine its final design.
Functionality
Ultrasound in cooking
During the ideation phase ultra sound was identified as a promising technology for kitchen appliances. By using ultra sound millions of microscopic implosions can be created in a short period of time which can serve as a way to wash of pesticides of fruits and vegetables, create stable emulsions, tenderise meat and more. Because of the variable frequencies the possibilities are endless.
Prototyping
Shape Exploration
Once the shape was defined, multiple prototypes were built to test it in real life. This allowed for several design iterations, refining it into a concept shape. With the concept, we could explore both its opportunities and limitations effectively.
User
User Interaction
The final step was to implement the information gathered from the research. This was more than just implement a user interface as shown here, but also research into sustainable impact, risks and requirements, impact on culture and how the technology would work.
